The New York Giants: The Next Generation

The recent death of Giant great Brad Van Pelt brings back memories of what New York Giants linebackers used to be made of.

Van Pelt ushered in an era of linebackers that saw Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, and Brian Kelly. The aforementioned four formed the "Crunch Bunch".

While the most illustrious title ever bestowed upon a defensive unit is The Steel Curtain, The Crunch Bunch is not far behind.

Reminiscing about Van Pelt brought to mind the fact that at this junction in Giants history, the position of linebacker is in need of a serious upgrade. The draft is right around the bend.

Ohio State Buckeye James Laurinaitis represents what type of upgrades the Giants must consider making.

Laurinaitis has a very respectable body of work by which to judge him.

He has been the recipient of a number of awards in his time at Ohio State including The Bronko Nagurski Trophy, The Dick Butkus Award, The Lott Trophy, and was a three-time AP All-American. While none of this means that he will be a good NFL player, it is a great indicator of consistency.